For years, Indonesia has chased a singular industrial ambition: to become part of Apple’s global manufacturing chain. The logic has always been straightforward. If Vietnam can assemble AirPods and iPads, and India can produce iPhones, then Southeast Asia’s largest economy should be able to do the same. The recent confirmation that AirTag devices are now being assembled in Batam and exported to the United States appears to validate that aspiration. But the reality is more complicated—and far less transformative. To subscribe please click here
